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This is a simple necklace made of leather cording using a double Chinese Button Knot.

Instead of using a single cord, it was doubled over, and two ends were used together. The other end formed the loop for the bead. This may be obvious, but the bead must be on the loop when the knot is formed. The double knot is not hard, but you must be careful when making the knot to not allow the cords to cross over one another. If that happens, the knot will show that, and you lose that nice look of the parallel cords.

Step 1

Allow a length of cord at least 12 inches. The knot does not actually take that much length when finished, but that much is n eeded in order to tie the knot.

I would suggest using rattail cord to learn this knot. It is firm enough to keep its shape, yet slippery enough to easily adjust the knot.

There are some cords that are simply too floppy to behave properly. Leather is nice, but it is a little more difficult to adjust, because it sort of sticks to itself. When making jewelery, that is a good thing.

Step 2

Make a loop, going in a counter clockwise direction. Pinch the bottom of the loop in your left hand.

Step 3

Make a second loop, also going in a counter clockwise direction. Pinch the bottom of both loops in your left hand.

Step 4

Thread the end over the right most portion of the second loop, going down.

Step 5

Thread the end behind the next part of the loop, and back up.

Step 6

This makes a third loop. Pinch all three loops in your left hand.

Step 7

Once again, thread the end over the right most portion of the second loop, going down.

Step 8

Watch carefully here, it is a little different! Thread the end under the next two portions of the loop, and then back up.

Step 9

Here is the hardest part for me to explain, since the knot is basically formed, but it really looks nothing like a knot yet.

You need to pull gently on both ends of the cord to tighten it. Not too much though, just enough to get it a little more snug.

Step 10

Do the "pull the ends, then roll" steps a couple of times until it is not longer getting the knot tighter.

Step 11

The final tightening of the knot is to find each loop as it goes through the knot, pull it tight.

First, find the starting loop by kind of pushing the cord into knot. One of the loops will bulge out a bit. Tighten by pulling on that loop. Rotate the knot, find the next loop, and pull it tight. There should be 8 loops total around the knot. This takes a bit of time, but is not difficult.



Once the knot is formed, it can be moved by pushing the end of the cord into the knot (again making the first loop bigger) and retightening it. It is possible to do the move and tighten in one step, but for the first few knots, I think it is more important to form the knot first, then move it.

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